Another song maybe?
October 6, 2012 9:49 AM Subscribe
I have Call Me Maybe stuck in my head. What can I sing, hum, or listen to that will remove it? What is your best earwig remover?
Tina Turner's Private Dancer. Always works every time.
posted by greta simone at 9:55 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by greta simone at 9:55 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
Try the orchestral remix of Call Me Maybe. It's different enough that it might drive the original out of your head, but it's not nearly as much of an earwig.
posted by anaximander at 9:57 AM on October 6, 2012
posted by anaximander at 9:57 AM on October 6, 2012
A classic earwig remover is the chorus to "It's a Small World After All," the Disney song.
But fair warning: It leaves no vaccuum.
posted by LonnieK at 10:00 AM on October 6, 2012
But fair warning: It leaves no vaccuum.
posted by LonnieK at 10:00 AM on October 6, 2012
Something in a different time signature.
Here's CSM's 'A Prince in a Pauper's Grave'.
posted by pompomtom at 10:00 AM on October 6, 2012
Here's CSM's 'A Prince in a Pauper's Grave'.
posted by pompomtom at 10:00 AM on October 6, 2012
Good ideas previously. My personal fix is Rock The Casbah.
posted by mochapickle at 10:01 AM on October 6, 2012
posted by mochapickle at 10:01 AM on October 6, 2012
Best answer: I suffer from this too often. I read this solution on AskMe once and it almost always works for me : Duran Duran's Rio.
posted by mireille at 10:02 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by mireille at 10:02 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll
Here's the whole thing, if you don't know it.
posted by hydrophonic at 10:05 AM on October 6, 2012
Here's the whole thing, if you don't know it.
posted by hydrophonic at 10:05 AM on October 6, 2012
Horrible repetitive children's songs are the bestworst earworm removers, because they are successful but two weeks later you still have horrible shrill voices in your head.
I like Put Down The Ducky because it is way less annoying than most.
posted by elizardbits at 10:06 AM on October 6, 2012
I like Put Down The Ducky because it is way less annoying than most.
posted by elizardbits at 10:06 AM on October 6, 2012
Dammit I didn't want that earworm back! It's horrid and should be banned from being played or spoken of forevermore.
And now it's fighting with the Celtic version of In Christ Alone which took its place a couple of weeks ago.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:12 AM on October 6, 2012
And now it's fighting with the Celtic version of In Christ Alone which took its place a couple of weeks ago.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:12 AM on October 6, 2012
Alice's Restaurant. Seriously. And since it's Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, it's almost appropriate timing.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 10:15 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 10:15 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
When this happened to me recently with a Katy Perry song, I used Punch 'Em In The Dick. It worked. NSFW.
posted by flex at 10:18 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by flex at 10:18 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
This is a case where I consider the cure worse than the disease, but here you go.
The Andy Griffith Theme Song.
Which I'm still not sure isn't some sort of alien virus conceived back in the '50s.
posted by Sphinx at 10:19 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Andy Griffith Theme Song.
Which I'm still not sure isn't some sort of alien virus conceived back in the '50s.
posted by Sphinx at 10:19 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Dunno where I heard about this, but Happy Birthday works every time for me.
And it's not a song that gets stuck in your head, so you're left with a blank.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:20 AM on October 6, 2012
And it's not a song that gets stuck in your head, so you're left with a blank.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:20 AM on October 6, 2012
Baby Elephant Walk. Works like a champ.
posted by macadamiaranch at 10:31 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by macadamiaranch at 10:31 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
Someone (here on MeFi/AskMe I believe) once said that Lowrider is the ultimate earworm cure, and they were right.
posted by carsonb at 10:34 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by carsonb at 10:34 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Girl from Ipanema.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:24 AM on October 6, 2012
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:24 AM on October 6, 2012
Whistling the "Voyage of the Mimi" theme song works wonders for me.
posted by treefort at 11:28 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by treefort at 11:28 AM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Manamana!
Warning: this will replace the earworm, not destroy it.
posted by a hat out of hell at 11:29 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
Warning: this will replace the earworm, not destroy it.
posted by a hat out of hell at 11:29 AM on October 6, 2012 [3 favorites]
Best answer: The best solution for this is 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone.
posted by Partial Law at 11:30 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Partial Law at 11:30 AM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
I always use Boom! Shake The Room for this exact purpose. It's so silly and upbeat that it wipes out the earworm.
posted by getawaysticks at 11:32 AM on October 6, 2012
posted by getawaysticks at 11:32 AM on October 6, 2012
Music from the Super Mario Bros games or Puttin' On The Ritz.
posted by fullerenedream at 12:11 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by fullerenedream at 12:11 PM on October 6, 2012
Low Rider is the universal "get it out of my head" song. It's catchy enough to replace whatever is stuck in your head, but not so catchy it gets stuck itself.
posted by zug at 12:18 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by zug at 12:18 PM on October 6, 2012
Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight,
Gonna grab some afternoon delight...
posted by Thorzdad at 12:23 PM on October 6, 2012
Gonna grab some afternoon delight...
posted by Thorzdad at 12:23 PM on October 6, 2012
Hair of the dog - I find that playing the song that's stuck in my head, hearing it, then follow it with something else, allows my brain to move on.
posted by anonymisc at 12:41 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by anonymisc at 12:41 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
posted by smirkyfodder at 12:54 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by smirkyfodder at 12:54 PM on October 6, 2012
Gangnam Style stays stuck in my head, so it might be good to wash out Call Me Maybe.
posted by hought20 at 1:58 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by hought20 at 1:58 PM on October 6, 2012
I begin to fear that this will be my answer to every AskMeFi music question, but Pomppufiilis.
Like most of the other answers, it clears the earworm by displacing it, but I find that Pomppufiilis itself then evaporates within 12 hours or so.
posted by pont at 2:39 PM on October 6, 2012
Like most of the other answers, it clears the earworm by displacing it, but I find that Pomppufiilis itself then evaporates within 12 hours or so.
posted by pont at 2:39 PM on October 6, 2012
Brimful of Asha is my go-to for this purpose.
Failing that, I second the suggestion of Super Mario Bros. music
posted by mannequito at 2:55 PM on October 6, 2012
Failing that, I second the suggestion of Super Mario Bros. music
posted by mannequito at 2:55 PM on October 6, 2012
I heartily recommend Give Us A Ring, Pet, the Geordie version of Call Me...
It's the same tune but so disorienting in its Otherness it works very well as an earwig remover.
Heah, Aa joost met ye like, an this is mental
But givvus a ring will ye pet,
An heah's me numba
Why aye.
posted by glasseyes at 3:18 PM on October 6, 2012
It's the same tune but so disorienting in its Otherness it works very well as an earwig remover.
Heah, Aa joost met ye like, an this is mental
But givvus a ring will ye pet,
An heah's me numba
Why aye.
posted by glasseyes at 3:18 PM on October 6, 2012
I find banging myself on the head and yelling stop works. I am not kidding. I hate earworms. I will not listen to pop because of it. At my hairdressers, she had on one of those Top 40 stations. I left with some godawful song in my head for a week or so.
I also find the choral part of Beethoven's 9th Symphony helps. At least, if that is haunting my brain, it does not bother me.
posted by wandering_not_lost at 3:47 PM on October 6, 2012
I also find the choral part of Beethoven's 9th Symphony helps. At least, if that is haunting my brain, it does not bother me.
posted by wandering_not_lost at 3:47 PM on October 6, 2012
Visualize Bob Dylan singing the problem song. Works every time. (Except for Bob Dylan songs.)
posted by milk white peacock at 4:14 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by milk white peacock at 4:14 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Mmmm Bop
posted by backwards guitar at 5:16 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by backwards guitar at 5:16 PM on October 6, 2012
If you like Piña Coladas
and gettin' caught in the rain...
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:51 PM on October 6, 2012
and gettin' caught in the rain...
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:51 PM on October 6, 2012
Eight, sir; seven, sir;
Six, sir; five, sir;
Four, sir; three, sir;
Two, sir; one!
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tension, apprehension,
And dissension have begun.
posted by McCoy Pauley at 6:52 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Six, sir; five, sir;
Four, sir; three, sir;
Two, sir; one!
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tension, apprehension,
And dissension have begun.
posted by McCoy Pauley at 6:52 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Gangnam Style stays stuck in my head, so it might be good to wash out Call Me Maybe.
Don't do it. This could happen
posted by nimsey lou at 8:29 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Don't do it. This could happen
posted by nimsey lou at 8:29 PM on October 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
I don't think earworms go away, they just change tunes. I had Wake Me Up Before You Go Go in my head last weekend. If something from the Vinyl Tap Earworm show doesn't replace it, you may be beyond help.
posted by peppermind at 8:57 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by peppermind at 8:57 PM on October 6, 2012
"Sweet Transvestite" from the Rocky Horror Show. Just try and think about anything else.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:17 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:17 PM on October 6, 2012
This is out in left field, but it works for me somehow. There's something your head is loving about that song. Really let it enjoy itself until it's done. I've sometimes even let two bars of a song loop for a while.
posted by spbmp at 9:17 PM on October 6, 2012
posted by spbmp at 9:17 PM on October 6, 2012
"The Statue Got Me High" by TMBG has been my standby.
Also, Voyage of the Mimi! Awesome, I loved that show. And that kid, seen in the video, grew up to be Ben Affleck.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:30 PM on October 6, 2012
Also, Voyage of the Mimi! Awesome, I loved that show. And that kid, seen in the video, grew up to be Ben Affleck.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:30 PM on October 6, 2012
I can tell you what doesn't work for me: Canon in D. I don't even know the actual individual parts, but damn it, my brain harmonises to the bass line I do know and it goes on forever. So don't listen to it.
I like modern choral music or a capella for debugging purposes. It's complex enough to enjoy once, but too complex to get stuck. (Try, say, Frank Tichelli's Earth Song, or any of the related videos on yt.)
posted by undue influence at 2:59 AM on October 7, 2012
I like modern choral music or a capella for debugging purposes. It's complex enough to enjoy once, but too complex to get stuck. (Try, say, Frank Tichelli's Earth Song, or any of the related videos on yt.)
posted by undue influence at 2:59 AM on October 7, 2012
I've had that super catchy Combustible Edison song Vertigogo stuck in my head for the past three days, and of course by today I was farking bonkers from it. Nothing worked against the power of scat—and I tried damn near everything—until I heard Miniature Tigers' 'Gold Skull'. Something about those plinking synths and thumpy drums roots out your brain chutes.
posted by carsonb at 6:57 PM on October 30, 2012
posted by carsonb at 6:57 PM on October 30, 2012
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posted by sninctown at 9:52 AM on October 6, 2012